Wisconsin Film Festival

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Wisconsin Film Festival
Historic Barrymore Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin (15533396386).jpg
Location Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Barrymore Theatre, Madison, U.S.
FoundedApril 1999;26 years ago (1999-04)
Founded by University of Wisconsin-Madison
AwardsGolden Badger, Audience Award
DirectorsMike King (Artistic Director)
Ben Reiser (Wisconsin's Own Programmer)
Hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison
LanguageEnglish
Website wifilmfest.org

The Wisconsin Film Festival is an annual film festival, founded in 1999. The festival is held every April in Madison, Wisconsin, and has recently been expanded from five days to eight days. [1] [2] .

Contents

The Festival presents a broad range of independent American and world cinema (narrative, documentary, experimental, shorts), restorations and revivals, and locally made pictures from Wisconsin filmmakers. Presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Arts Institute, this is the largest campus-based film festival in the United States.

In 2019 the festival reported an attendance of 29,280, with 153 films shown in 156 screenings across seven screens and five venues, supported by 178 volunteers. [3] In recent years the festival has consolidated many of its screenings at Flix Brewhouse, while still being based in the historic Barrymore Theatre. [4] The 2025 festival featured nearly 90 programs across eight days, with a mixed lineup of original Wisconsin made films, as well as international selections, repertory screenings, and repertory-style revivals [5] including UW-Madison alumnus David Koepp, who introduced a special screening of his 2012 film Premium Rush .

Awards

Golden Badger Award - Wisconsin Film Festival Golden Badger Wisconsin Film Festival.jpg
Golden Badger Award – Wisconsin Film Festival

Each year, the Wisconsin Film Festival presents three main awards known as a "Golden Badger" (based on the mascot of UW-Madison, Bucky Badger). The Golden Badger Awards are selected by a small jury composed of previous recipients, local film critics, and other film community members invited by the festival to judge.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "'This is dessert': Filmmakers proud to be featured in Wisconsin Film Festival". WKOW. April 16, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ Staff, Isthmus (April 8, 2023). "Wisconsin's Own". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ "2019 Wisconsin Film Festival Wrap Up". Division of the Arts – UW–Madison. May 22, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  4. ↑ Falkenstein, Linda (March 7, 2025). "The Wisconsin Film Fest settles into Flix Brewhouse and other venues". Isthmus. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  5. ↑ Phipps, Grant (March 9, 2025). "The sights and shape(s) of the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival". Tone Madison. Retrieved December 9, 2025.


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